FLY WHERE EAGLES DARE...
 Go through the motorway of A12 Parma / La Spezia till you reach the 'Aulla' exit in the center of the town in the direction of Fivizzano. Before you reach Fivizzano turn right after you see the sign indicating Gassano. You will find the village of Gragnola as you whiz up about 5 kilometers from Gassano. Up above perched on a knoll like a swift flying bird, sits the Castello dell'Aquila. You will still have to go further down the main road that runs through the village and turn left at a faded sign before you climb up the craggy rock.
Open a historical treasure chest and find precious notes that went to build a memorable history behind the Castello dell'Aquila. Gragnola was planned by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1245, but was completed in 1253 by Conrad IV. Follow the mysterious history as the story goes that the construction of the city was executed by the same people who had built 99 castles in the Aquilan basin. Complete with a governor and council, the city became a focal point of power to the extent that Pope Alexander shifted the bishopric to L'Aquila after building the Church of S. Massimo. Between the struggle of the Papacy with the new king Manfred, L'Aquila went through a series of traumas till 1266. But historical events also took place here as the Basilica of S. Maria di Collemaggio was built were Pope Peter of Morrone was appointed in the presence of King Charles II of Anjou. Again the city of L'Aquila was subject to wars between the House of Anjou and the Aragons. Soon peace was restored in paradise and L'Aquila prospered and by the 15th century was the center of trade as it was permitted to mint coins. But again disaster struck as wars between the French and the Spanish raged on for the throne of Naples.
 Come away to the quaint town of L'Aquila and enjoy its Romanesque and Renaissance art and architecture. Cross over to its lovely Castello dell'Aquila or the Eagle's Castle in Gragnola structured to house the elegant Marquises Malaspina. Placed in a picturesque setting at the meeting of two streams, the Aulella and the Lucido, the castle is a fortified fortress with a view of the Tuscany countryside. It will be interesting to note that it has been occupied since the Liguri-Apuani and the Roman periods. Come into its strong confines of stone and look at the quadrilateral keep with four storeys with its vaulted ceilings re-constructed with three angular towers. Go through the gate of the northwest tower and enter the inner ward. The second gate is on a higher level with the ancient barbican and two loopholes that also open out to the inner ward. Come into the revered sanctum sanctorum of its chapel which was recently consecrated. Go out to look up at the huge keep that rises from the inner ward with its walls on the north with the remaining vestiges of its battlements. Walk into its courtyard and view its residential and military houses and as you go through the main hall look at its great vaulted barrel ceiling.
 Settle down and look at the beautiful work done by the prestigious families of the Malaspina, Spinetta Malspina and Leonardo I, who re-decorated the this military fortress into a building fit for royals and the seat of the Marquisate. Dating back to the 13th century, the keep stands as a lone sentinel with the curtain of stone walls built in the 14th-15th centuries to house the new changes in weaponry. As you go through the outer gate you will notice an open air way that spins around its outer walls from a round turret. Keep walking to the end of the path and a second gate opens to a round-shaped barbican with ominous looking gun holes which point to the valley with barracks for the guards. Look at the castle from a new perspective and walk down a long corridor from which there is no escape. Go to the Inner Gate and look at the scarped reinforcements on the outer walls and the keep.
But unfortunately, the power of the Marquisate declined and the great Castello Dell'Aquila was abandoned. Then the earthquake of 1920 struck and reduced the castle to ruins. But today it is restored thanks to the tender loving care of a private owner who has begun restoration work in keeping with the original décor of the old castle. Come and walk in the valley where historical battles were lost and won and let the romance in you be re-kindled by the lovely Castello dell'Aquila.
RE-KINDLE THE PASSIONS OF THE SOUL..
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